Cultural Hegemony in Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger
This paper explores the role of cultural hegemony in perpetuating caste- and class-based oppression in contemporary India through a critical reading of Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger. Grounded in Antonio Gramsci’s theory of hegemony, it examines how ideological consent, coercion, and institutional...
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English Department of Antasari State Islamic University
2025-06-01
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| Series: | LET: Linguistics, Literature and English Teaching Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://jurnal.uin-antasari.ac.id/index.php/let/article/view/15910 |
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| author | Shivani Mishra Ritu Pandey |
| author_facet | Shivani Mishra Ritu Pandey |
| author_sort | Shivani Mishra |
| collection | DOAJ |
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This paper explores the role of cultural hegemony in perpetuating caste- and class-based oppression in contemporary India through a critical reading of Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger. Grounded in Antonio Gramsci’s theory of hegemony, it examines how ideological consent, coercion, and institutional complicity normalize systemic domination. The novel portrays how caste and class hierarchies persist not just through overt force, but through cultural mechanisms that internalize obedience among the oppressed. Balram Halwai’s morally ambiguous rise from rural servitude to urban entrepreneurship reflects a critique of the entrenched structures of power that manipulate ideology, economy, and identity. Through qualitative textual analysis, the paper reveals how moments of rebellion, while disruptive, and are often reabsorbed into hegemonic systems. Ultimately, the study emphasizes literature’s capacity to critique and challenge dominant ideologies, situating The White Tiger within broader debates on power, resistance, and subaltern agency in Indian fiction and cultural discourse.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b5c1ccdff6b84b51bf4731932ba1b811 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2086-9606 2549-2454 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | English Department of Antasari State Islamic University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | LET: Linguistics, Literature and English Teaching Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-b5c1ccdff6b84b51bf4731932ba1b8112025-06-30T01:49:05ZengEnglish Department of Antasari State Islamic UniversityLET: Linguistics, Literature and English Teaching Journal2086-96062549-24542025-06-0115110.18592/let.v15i1.15910Cultural Hegemony in Aravind Adiga’s The White TigerShivani Mishra0Ritu Pandey1United University, Prayagraj, IndiaUnited University, Prayagraj, India This paper explores the role of cultural hegemony in perpetuating caste- and class-based oppression in contemporary India through a critical reading of Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger. Grounded in Antonio Gramsci’s theory of hegemony, it examines how ideological consent, coercion, and institutional complicity normalize systemic domination. The novel portrays how caste and class hierarchies persist not just through overt force, but through cultural mechanisms that internalize obedience among the oppressed. Balram Halwai’s morally ambiguous rise from rural servitude to urban entrepreneurship reflects a critique of the entrenched structures of power that manipulate ideology, economy, and identity. Through qualitative textual analysis, the paper reveals how moments of rebellion, while disruptive, and are often reabsorbed into hegemonic systems. Ultimately, the study emphasizes literature’s capacity to critique and challenge dominant ideologies, situating The White Tiger within broader debates on power, resistance, and subaltern agency in Indian fiction and cultural discourse. https://jurnal.uin-antasari.ac.id/index.php/let/article/view/15910HegemonyCaste oppressionCultural dominanceIdeologyResistance |
| spellingShingle | Shivani Mishra Ritu Pandey Cultural Hegemony in Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger LET: Linguistics, Literature and English Teaching Journal Hegemony Caste oppression Cultural dominance Ideology Resistance |
| title | Cultural Hegemony in Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger |
| title_full | Cultural Hegemony in Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger |
| title_fullStr | Cultural Hegemony in Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cultural Hegemony in Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger |
| title_short | Cultural Hegemony in Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger |
| title_sort | cultural hegemony in aravind adiga s the white tiger |
| topic | Hegemony Caste oppression Cultural dominance Ideology Resistance |
| url | https://jurnal.uin-antasari.ac.id/index.php/let/article/view/15910 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shivanimishra culturalhegemonyinaravindadigasthewhitetiger AT ritupandey culturalhegemonyinaravindadigasthewhitetiger |